Speedometer-driving connection for motor-cycles.



J. K. STEWART.

SPEEDOMETER DRIVING CONNECTION FOR MOTOR CYCLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2 1913.

1 1 22 656 Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M45 Kw J. K. STEWART.

SPEEDOMBTER DRIVING CONNECTION FOR MOTOR CYCLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT,2.1913.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fiflllllllilllllllllllm lllllllillllilllllll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Jon! 1:. B'TEWAEI', OF cmcxo'o; IiLmoIs, ASSIGNOB, 'ro STEWART-WARNER. SPEED- onn'mn CORPORATION, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 012 VIRGINIA.

' SPEEDOMETER -DRI VING CONNECTION FOR MOTOR-GYGLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Application filed September 2, 1913. Serial No. 787,708.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN K. STEWART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Speedometer-Driving Connections for Motor-Cycles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

he purpose of this invention is to provide an improved driving connection for operating a. speedometer on a motorcycle.

It consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described as indicated in the claims. s

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a side ele vation Of a portion of the front wheel fork and steering head of a motor-cycle equipped withthis invention. Fig. 2 is a section at the line, 22, on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section at the line, 33, on Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section at the line, 4'-il, on Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section at the line, 55, on Fig. 1.

In the drawings, the device constituting this invention is shown applied to the steering fork and wheel of a bicycle of the type in which each of the fork arms is jointed near the lower end, the axle being secured to the short members of such jointed fork arms, said short members being connected by a secondary fork to a spring rigid at one end with the fork head above the wheel, this construction being familiar for absorbing the shock of the wheel in passing over irregularities of the road. The jointed fork arms each comprising members, 1 and 2, hinged together at 3, and having the member, 2, whose ends carry the axle of the ground wheel, A, connected by the secondary fork, 4, with the spring, 5, secured to the fork head atQ, constitute said familiar construction. The axle, 7, extends through the ends of the members, an the jointed fork arms to one of which it is clamped by an ordinary nut, not shown. For clamping it to the other of said fork arm members. 2, there is provided an elongated nut, 8, having back of its head a cylindrical portion, 8", upon which there is journaled a link member, 9. which has at its opposite end a transverse journal bearing, 10, preferably made as a separable piece and clamped in the split end of the link by a clamping bolt, 11, as illustrated. In this transverse journal bearing, 10, there is journaled a counter shaft, 12, at the inner end of which there is mounted a pinion, 13, which meshes with a gear, l-l, mounted upon the side of the ground wheel, A. At the opposite end of the counter shaft, 12, there is pivoted upon it a gear housing, 15, in which there is journaled a driven shaft, 16, and within the housing on said two shafts, l2 and 16, respectively, are intermeshing spiral gears, 17 and 18. The bearing of the driven shaft, 16, is connected by a tube, 19, with the journal bearing on the speedometer casing, 20, of the prime shaft of said speedometer, and a shaft, 21, extending in said tube connects said driven shaft, 16, with the speedometer prime shaft for operating the speedometer mechanism upon rotation of the groundwheel, A. Preferably, in order to position the speedometer at the most convenient angle for reading, and permit such speedometer to be of the more common and simpler construction in which the prime shaft has its axis parallel to the face of the instrument, the tube, 19, is curved, as shown, so that at its upper end it trends in direction parallel to the plane of the desired position of the speedometer face, 20. lVhen this tube is thus curved, the shaft, 21, therein is necessarily a flexible or jointed shaft as illustrated.

Upon considering the above construction, it will be observed that as the ground wheel rises and falls in passing over obstructions,

the axle must move in an are about the axis of the oint between the two fork members,

1 and 2, and also about the axis of the counter shaft, 12. The dotted line arc, represents the patlf of movement of the ground wheel axis about the first mentioned center. and the dotted line are, 25, repreby the flexibility of a tube of the length which such tube, .21, necessarily has, and

this without regard to the degree of curvature of said tube, or whether it is curved or straight. a i

In, order speedometer at the most desirable angle for reading to accommodate preferences of different riders, and also to adapt the entire drive connection to be applied to bicycles somewhat varying in fork length, and also to per mit the speedometer tobe mounted at vary ing distances from the steering head along the length of the-handle bar to accommodate the preferences of different riders 'and to permit, it in such adjustment to preserve its proper erect or desirably inclined osition notwithstanding the curvature of t e handle bar along which it may be thus adjusted,

there is provided for mounting the. upper end of the tube, 19, and thereby supporting thespeedometer, a, jointed clamp whose two members are connected together bya balland-socket or universal joint at 30, the member, 31, being clamped onto the handle bar,

and the member, 32, being adapted to .be

clamped onto the coupling, 33, avhich terminates the tube, 19, at the upper end and serves for connecting it to the speedometer casing.

1. In a bicycle whichhasa ground wheel mounted for yielding up-and-down move ment in travel, in combination with such ground Wheel, aframe on which it is mounted for such up-and-down movement; a member pivotally connected with the frame on which the= ground wheel is mounted, said pivotal connection being coaxial with the ground wheel; 'a power-communicating wheel on the ground wheel; a driven .wheel journaled on" said pivotally connected member for operative engagement with said power-communicating wheel; a shaft casin extending from the ournal bearing of sai driven wheel; means for supporting the remoteend of said shaft casing on the frame; a shaft in said casing, and connections from the driven wheel for rotating said shaft; the shaft-casing beingpositioned and dimensioned for locating the point of engagement of the driven wheel with the powercommunicating wheel in a plane radial to the latter and substantially at right angles to the direction of the up-and-down movement of the wheel. i 2. In a bicycle which has a ground wheel mounted for yielding up-and-down movement in travel, in combination with such ground wheel, a frame on which it is mount ed for such up-and-down movement; a member pivotally connected with the frame on which the ground wheel is mounted, said pivotal. connection being coaxial with the ground Wheel; a power-communicating Wheel on the ground wheel; a driven wheel journaled on said pivotally connected memto permit adjustment of the,

her for operative engagement with' said power-communicating wheel; an inextensible shaft casing extending from the journal; bearing of said driven wheel; means for supporting the remote end of said shaft casing on the frame; a shaft in said casing, and

connections from the driven wheel for ro-v tating saidshaft; the shaft casingnbeing positioned and dimensioned for locating the point of engagement of the driven wheel with the power-communicating wheel in a planeradial to the latter and substantially at right angles to the. direction of and-down movement of the wheel- 3. In a bicycle whibh has a ground; wheel mounted for yielding ,up-and-down move the upment in travel, in combination with such 7 ground wheel, a frame on whlch 1t1s mount ed for such up-anddown movement; a mom; 7

her pivotally connected with'the frame on which the ground wheel is mounted pivotal connection. beingv co-axial with the ground wheel; wheel on the ground wheel;"a"driven wheel journaled on said pivotally connected 'member for, operative engagement}; with said said a power-communicating power-communicating' wheel; afstifi shaft- 1 casing extending from-the'journal bearing of said driven wheel; means for supporting the remote end of said shaftbasing on the framef'a shaft in said. casin- ,iand connections from the driven wheeI 'forjrotatin'g said shaft; the shaft casingbein "positioned and dimensioned for locatingt 'ef'point of engagement of' the" driven wheel with the power-communicating wheel a np a radial to the latter and substantial y at down movement of the wheel.

4. In a bicycle which has a wheel right angles to the direction of the'upsandmounted for yielding up-and-down move-- .-journal bearing of said driven wheel; means for supporting the remote end of'said shaftcasing on the frame; a shaft in said casing, and connections from the driven wheel for rotating said shaft; the shaft-casing being positioned anddimensioned for locating the point of engagement of the driven wheel with the power-communicating wheel in a plane radial to the latter andsubstantially at right angles to the direction of and-down movement of the wheel.

5. In a bicycle which has a ground wheel the upa power-communicating mounted for yielding np-and-down movement during travel, in combination with such ground wheel a. frame on which it is mounted for such up-and-down movement; a member pivotally connected with the frame on which the ground wheel is mounted, such pivotal connection being coaxial with the ground wheel; a countershaft journaled in said pivotally-eonnected member; a power-con'nnunicating wheel on the ground wheel; a driven wheel on the counter-shaft operatively connected with said power-coinmunicating wheel; a shaft-casing extending from the counter-shaft journal hearing; means for supporting the remote end of the shaft casing on the frame; a. shaft in such casing, and means connecting it for rotation with said driven, wheel; said shaft-casing being positioned and dimensioned for locating the point of engagement of said driven wheel with said power-communicating wheel in a plane radial with respect to the latter and substantially 3 7h; angles to the'u'p-and-down movement of the qround wheel.

6. In a'loicycle which has a ground wheel mounted for yielding up-and-down movement during travel; a frame in which the wheel is mounted for such up-and-dow'n movement; a member pivotally connected with said frame, said pivotal connection being coaxial with the ground wheei; a poven communicating wheel on ground wheel; a counter-shaft gournaled in said pivotall connected member; a driven whel i counter-shaft in operative relation t 1e power-c0mmunicating wheel; shatter-sing, I

extending from the counter shaft journal bearing, and means for supporting the remote end of said shaft casing on the frame; a shaft in said casing; intermeshing gears on said last mentioned shaft and the counlay of August, 1913 tor-shaft respectively, the casing being positioned and dimensioned for locat ing the journal bearing of the counter-shaft in a plane which is radial to the powercommunicating wheel and approximately at right angles to the direction of up-anddown movement of the ground wheel.

7. in a bicycle which has a ground-wheel mounted for yielding up-and-down move merit in travel, in combination with such ground-wheel a frame on which it is mounted for such up-and-down movement with respect to said frame; a member pivotally connected with said frame, said pivotal connection being co-axial with the ground wheel; a power-communicating wheel on the ground-wheel; a driven wheel journaled on said pivotally connected member for operative engagement with said powercommunicating wheel; a shaft bearing mounted on said 'rame at a po nt which is remote from the ground-wheel bearing, and with respect to which the ground wheel. has said upenddovxn movement; means connecting said last mentioned hearing with the journal bearing of said driven wheel; a shaft iournaled in said remote bearing, and eonnectlOliS from the driven wheel for rot said shaft, said means connecting said u ing's being positioned and dimensioned ior locating the point of engagement of driven wheel with the POWQF-CUHTIHU in wheel in plane radial to substantially at i his 1 of the up and-dohn moi in testimony whereof, i have he my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 20th liitnesses lino; l, drone, a'l. iznnrnoon Any. 

